R-CALF USA Calls USDA Dishonest and Corrupt; Submits Fourth Request for Extension 

June 14, 2012 Billings, MT – Yesterday, June 13, R-CALF USA sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack requesting an extension of the public comment period in the proposed rule titled “Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Importation of Bovines and Bovine Products” (Proposed Rule). This is the fourth request for an extension made by the group. 

While the comment period for the rule was reopened for a short period after the initial deadline, it did not provide enough time for the public to review and comment on such a comprehensive Proposed Rule. R-CALF USA is concerned that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is ignoring the multiple requests for extension because upon thorough review the public will see the Proposed Rule as corrupt and dishonest. These deceitful tactics might not be noticed if organizations and individuals do not have adequate time to carefully read and respond. 

R-CALF USA requests that USDA extend the comment period for the Proposed Rule for at least 60 days following the completion of USDA’s epidemiological investigation of the recently detected BSE case in California. This would allow adequate time for thorough and meaningful comments. 

In the letter, R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard states the “Proposed Rule is riddled with inconsistencies, contradictions and outright lies.” Bullard further states that USDA “has perjured itself in its pursuit of [Vilsack’s] political agenda to expose U.S. cattle and the public to an increased risk of BSE.” 

In support of its assertion that the Proposed Rule contains outright lies, R-CALF USA cites a specific example where USDA told a U.S. district court that its proposal would eliminate the possibility of BSE-infectivity, but now the agency claims in the Proposed Rule that it has not stated that the risk is “eliminated.”  

“Your agency is wholly lacking in accountability, creditability, and integrity. It is impossible for the public interest to even be considered, let alone protected, by an agency that resorts to outright lies in order to further its own political agenda,” the letter states.    

# # #

R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516.  

Click here for a printable version.

Interested in advertising on this website? Contact Laurel for more information.
Reach R-CALF USA at 406-252-2516

                            This page was last updated on Tuesday, October 16, 2012.